The use of exercise devices such as weight training and cardiovascular training machines include a repeated movement that moves over a designated path. For weight training there is a resistance provided by weights, bands, or the like to render the movement more difficult and intensify the exercise. With cardio type or shoulder rehabilitation type exercise, frequently handles are grasped and rotated in a circular fashion much like pedals on the bike either by hand or foot. The movement itself dictates the muscles or muscle groups involved in the exercise.
One great problem with exercise equipment in general is that handles, foot loops, or the like are usually fixed such that parallel back and forth or parallel circular motions are achieved. This is usually also done in a perpendicular to the user's chest fashion with arms spread apart shoulder width. These fixed handles limit the way the muscles are exercised and is not adequate to real life situations since in real life pushing, pulling, and rotation motions can end up in any of the 6 degrees of movements allowed by limbic rotation. For example, an individual may need to push an object with arms spread wide apart, thus using muscles differently than shoulder width apart on most machines. For all around training, current hand driven exercise machines are limited by design to at most those that raise and lower the handles and do not function to completely train and/or rehabilitate the individual. Using both hands on either side of a wheel to rotate the wheel limits the movements of the machine to exercising in a single plane and greatly limits the potential of the machine in both shoulder rehabilitation and upper body development.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device that addresses the various disadvantages associated with previous devices.